In all the ways that matter
by Angylinni
Summary: Katniss Everdeen doesn't do small talk and the myriad other things that college aged females do, but she can't ignore Peeta Mellark, a member of her presentation team, despite all her trying. Warnings : Recreational drug use.
1. Chapter 1

The conference was over, the presentations done and now she could finally relax. Katniss flopped down on the bed and closed her eyes, exhaled deeply.

"What are you doing?"

Cracking one eye open, she observed Jo coming over and sitting down on the bed, staring down at her. Closing her eye once more, Katniss sighed. "I was going to take a nap."

"Bullshit."

Katniss sighed, opening her eyes and lifting her brow, knowing her friend had more to say.

Jo gave her a bitchy smile. "You promised."

_Fuck_. She had promised, last night after they had gotten off the stage, Jo had turned to her and with a wicked glint in her eye made her promise that they'd all go out on their last night to blow off the intense pressure the entire group had been under to perform well in the finals. Jo was the only person she knew who could weasel a promise out of you when everything you had said run the other way. "I hate you."

The shit eating grin on Jo's face got wider. "No you don't. You wish you did, but it's impossible. I'm too lovable."

Katniss snorted, leaning up on her elbows. "In what fucking universe?"

"Bitch," Jo replied without heat, winking at her as she rose from the bed, walking to the mirror. Their eyes met in the glass and they both began to laugh. Katniss grabbed the pillow from the bed and chucked it across the room, nailing the other girl right in the back.

Jo spun slowly, hands on her hips as she arched a brow. "Got a death wish?"

"Yes!" Katniss said, laughing as the pillow came flying back and hit her right square in the face.

"Get your ass up and into the shower, we're meeting the guys in an hour at that bar we passed on our way into town."

Katniss pulled the pillow away from her face and scowled. "That looked like a shithole."

Jo shrugged, turning back to the mirror. "Shithole or not, it's what we've got in this one horse town. There's apparently a local band from the U playing there tonight, so we need to get there early to miss the cover."

Grumbling under her breath, Katniss pushed up to a sitting position. "Do you have some sort of grapevine to get all the insider info?"

A loud peal of laughter filled the room. Jo shook her head. "Try talking to people Everdeen, they might just surprise you."

"I do talk to people," Katniss bitched as she got up off the bed and walked to the bathroom.

"Your sister and I don't count."

Katniss flipped her the finger as she walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her, Jo's laughter following her in.

The bar was crowded when they walked in, but not so much that they couldn't see the two other members of their BPA team sitting at a table pouring from a pitcher of pale amber liquid into four, tall glasses. Jo nudged Katniss and lifted her hand, making her way through the crowd to the table. "Looks good boys, what are we drinking?"

"Pale Amber Ale," Beetee answered, sliding one of the glasses towards her as she sat down on the tall barstool across from him.

"Thanks, how much do I owe?" she asked as she lifted the glass and took a swallow. It slid over her tongue and down her throat, easing the tight knot of tension that had risen in her stomach at the thought of having to be sociable. She wasn't good in situations like this. Stick her behind a podium with a prepared speech and she could knock them dead, but unscripted – total disaster. When her advisor had suggested that padding her resume with club participation, she'd looked through all of the offerings at the U and finally found the BPA, which would allow her to play to her strengths without having to expend much effort. When she'd discovered they also offered scholarships, it was a no brainer. All she had to do was meet with the team once a month to come up with their concept and then go off and do her thing. Making Jo do it with her had also been a no brainer. The only problem had come when they'd met the graphic designer for the team. From the second she'd laid eyes on him, Peeta Mellark had occupied her thoughts. With his messy blond curls and penetrating blue eyes, he was a distraction she did not need. The second Jo had discovered that Katniss found him attractive; she made it her life's mission to hook them up. This trip was her last ditch effort, having tried everything short of locking them in a room together.

"You can get the next one," Peeta said, smiling at her over the rim of his glass.

Katniss felt her stomach lurch as their eyes met and she looked away quickly. The tension between them had risen steadily all week, and now she could barely even meet his gaze without a flush creeping up her neck. Yesterday, during the web presentation she'd focused so intently on his hands and how much she'd like to have them running over her body that Jo had to nudge her when everyone stood to applaud. She'd managed at least to offer congratulations when they'd all met up again, but the damage had been done and Jo refused to let it go. She was going to do her level best to get them hooked up. Hell, she wouldn't put it past her to have already talked to Peeta, let him know how badly she wanted to touch him. Tilting the glass, she swallowed quickly, downing the pint in record time, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she set the glass back down on the table. Jo's loud guffaw earned her a swift kick under the table as Beetee refilled her glass.

"To us!" Jo said, lifting her glass in a toast. Katniss lifted hers, clinking the rim against the other three, her gaze locking with Peeta's once more. Her stomach swooped and danced with butterflies and she gulped down her beer, heat seeping through her belly that had nothing to do with the alcohol.

Jo set her glass down and winked at Katniss. "Time to get this party started," she said, sliding off her stool. "Be right back."

Katniss watched her friend walk across the bar to a rowdy table of guys. Shaking her head, she reached for the pitcher, pouring another glass. The harried waitress walked by and Katniss flagged her, digging into her pocket for her money. Throwing down a rumpled twenty, she motioned towards the pitcher. The girl nodded and hurried off towards the bar.

"Going for the record?"

Katniss nearly choked as Peeta spoke to her. Setting her beer down, she wiped her mouth self-consciously. "What?"

He motioned towards her glass. "You seem in an awfully big hurry to get wasted."

She flushed and shrugged her shoulders, wiping her sweaty palms on her shorts. "Just trying to relax after hell week."

Beetee laughed and lifted his beer, taking a deep drink. When he put the glass down, he had a line of foam adhering to the wispy hairs of his wannabe mustache. "Hell month is more like it," he said with a laugh.

"It was worth it though, second place isn't too shabby with all of our competition," Peeta said, finishing the beer in his glass and killing the rest of the pitcher.

"First would've been better."

Peeta shrugged. "I did my best, and my portfolio is nicely padded, so I'll count it as a win."

Katniss narrowed her gaze at him. "Why are you always so upbeat?"

He frowned slightly. "What?"

She gestured vaguely with her hand. "You're always so damn positive, it gets really annoying."

Peeta laughed. "So says the pessimist."

"I'm not a pessimist."

He laughed even harder. Beetee even joined in, nodding his head enthusiastically. "You are!"

"Shut up and wipe off your damn lip," she snarled, grabbing her glass and draining it again. Slamming the glass down on the table, she glared over her shoulder at the bar, looking for the waitress.

When she turned back around, Peeta had moved to the stool next to her. She inhaled sharply and got a noseful of his cologne, which sent a deep spear of want burning through her. Spicy and earthy, it made her pulse race. "Dammit," she muttered under her breath, wishing that she hadn't finished off the last of her beer.

"Hey," Peeta said softly, drawing her attention. "I didn't mean it like it was a bad thing." His hand slid atop hers and she nearly swallowed her tongue. "The world needs all kinds of people, right?"

She nodded mutely, mesmerized by the feel of his fingers against hers. His were slightly rough and so warm. He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand and her pulse went through the roof. Her stomach was doing the rumba and her mouth was so dry it felt like a desert. Licking her lips, she lifted her gaze, staring at him through the fringe of her lashes. His face was so close she could feel his breath skating across her cheek. If she'd thought his hands were perfection, it was nothing compared to his eyes. Fringed by thick gold lashes, they were like pools of sapphire.

"Katniss…"

Her eyes dropped to his mouth, loving the way her name sounded coming out of it. Inhaling shakily, she licked her lips again, gaze darting between his mouth and his eyes. He was moving closer, tongue swiping across his lips as he closed the scant distance between them.

"Hey! No macking until later!"

Katniss leapt backwards, nearly falling off her stool as Jo came up between them, slinging an arm around their shoulders. "Let's get this party started," she said, leaning over and pressing a loud, smacking kiss on Katniss' cheek before doing the same to Peeta.

"We are," Peeta said, reaching for his beer and taking a swallow.

Katniss glanced at him and then back to Jo. "What did you do?"

Jo winked at her. "Meet me out on the back deck." She began walking away and turned to look over her shoulder. "Peeta, you come too." Jo glanced at Beetee and he shook his head. She shrugged her shoulders and walked out the door that was marked deck.

Katniss stared at her empty beer glass for a long moment, nearly jumping off the stool when Peeta stood up, his hand landing warmly on her shoulder. "Coming?"

Well damn, this made things interesting. She'd known Jo was going to try to score; it'd been all she'd talked about on the trip out here. The best part of this trip was the fact that weed was legal here so they wouldn't have to worry about doing anything that might cost them their scholarships. What she hadn't known was how Peeta felt about it. Apparently it didn't bother him because he was standing there with an expectant expression, patiently waiting for her to get up off her ass and move towards the back deck. Pushing back from the table, she glanced over at Beetee. He waved his hand distractedly. "Go, I'm gonna stay here and hold the table. Someone needs to be sober enough to start the drive home tomorrow."

Nodding, she turned and walked towards the back deck, hyper aware of Peeta following behind her. Despite the teasing she'd endured the past week, she'd still made sure to wear the jean shorts that made her ass look amazing.

Jo was sitting on one of the deck chairs, blowing smoke into the warm night air. A tall, auburn haired guy stood next to her, holding a joint of his own. They were laughing about something, Jo's loud, exuberant tones audible over the music being pumped out of two speakers near the doors. Katniss glanced over her shoulder, making sure Peeta was still behind her as she moved through the sparse crowd to where Jo sat.

"Took you damn long enough," Jo said as Katniss slid into the seat next to her. "Did you stop to make out?"

Katniss rolled her eyes. "Funny," she said, aiming a kick at Jo's ankle.

"Jealous?" Peeta asked, as he leaned across the table and plucked the joint from Jo's lax fingers, bringing it to his lips and inhaling deeply, letting the smoke settle into his lungs.

Jo arched her brow and snorted. "I'd eat you alive, fingerpainter." Her gaze slid sideways to where Katniss sat. "Besides, I know you've got a hard-on for my bestie, and I don't poach."

Peeta let the smoke spill out of his lips and leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. "What's to say she cares?" He asked as he passed the joint to Katniss.

Katniss flushed crimson, heat shooting through her as their fingers touched. She lifted the joint to her lips and inhaled, closing her eyes and trying to will away the embarrassment.

Jo laughed again, loudly. "She cares; otherwise she wouldn't be trying to ignore you so hard."

"I'm right here," Katniss said, opening her eyes and glaring at them as the fragrant smoke curled around her head. "Stop fucking talking about me like I'm not."

"This is too heavy for me, find me later?" Jo's companion inhaled once more on his joint and then passed it to her.

She looked up and nodded, her eyes already glazed. "Count on it."

Katniss took another hit, pulling the smoke deep into her lungs as she avoided looking at Peeta. She could feel his gaze on her and it was driving her insane. The weed was intensifying the need pounding between her thighs.

Jo stood up, flicking the tiny butt of her joint out into the bushes. "I'm outta here, the band's started," she said as she pushed her chair back out of the way. "I'm going to go dance and get lost in Finnick." She turned to stare at Katniss. "I won't be back to the room till morning," she said pointedly, flicking her gaze towards Peeta, who was leaning back, watching them both with glazed eyes.

"I hate you," Katniss said, taking another toke.

Jo smirked. "I love you too." Flicking the curls on Peeta's forehead, she walked unsteadily towards the bar and the thumping music.

Tense silence rose between them as Katniss silently finished her smoke. Peeta had finished his and tossed it off the side before leaning back against the chair once more, glazed blue eyes never leaving her. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore. "What?"

He shook his head, giving her a bland smile.

It made her angry and she sat forward, glaring at him. "Bullshit, you've got something on your mind, spill it."

"Are you always this hostile?"

Katniss rolled her eyes. "If I say yes, are you going to run away?"

"You don't scare me."

"I should," she said, slumping back into her chair, picking at a stray thread on her shorts.

He stood up, holding his hand out. "Come on." She looked up, frowning. He smiled, motioning with his hand. "Come on." Lifting her hand, she laid it into his, palm to palm, a shiver dancing down her spine as his fingers curled around her hand and pulled her up. He didn't say another word, just led her into the bar and onto the dance floor.


	2. Chapter 2

The bar was crowded, much more so than when they'd gone outside. Beetee was sitting at the table, beer in hand, fingers tapping along to the beat of the song the band was performing. Peeta left her standing on the periphery of the dance floor and walked over to retrieve their beers, managing to make it back to where she stood without spilling a drop of either. Their fingers brushed again and the stomach wobbles were back with a vengeance, every nerve firing madly at the banked heat in his gaze as it locked with hers. Lifting the glass, she drained it, watching as he did the same.

She finished her beer and took his from his hand before reaching out to set them on one of the tables surrounding the dance floor, her gaze never leaving his. The way he looked at her made her feel wanton and sexy, two things she'd never before felt in her life. Flipping her braid back over her shoulder, she deliberately turned around, her heart pumping madly in her chest. Hyper aware of him, she felt the air move as he slipped behind her, leaving just enough space that she could feel the heat radiating off his body. Chills raced along her spine as his breath ruffled the hair beside her ear and she felt an answering pull deep between her hips. The crowd surrounded them, cocooning them in an ocean of bodies.

His hand found her hip, long fingers slipping beneath the waistband of her shorts to rest against the jut of bone, tapping out a rhythm that she could feel to her soles, her body clenching tightly with every caress of the callouses on their tips. Lips teased her neck, teeth grazing lightly along her nape, breath stirring the tiny hairs that had escaped her braid, goosebumps erupting. Katniss shivered despite the heat in the crowded room as his lips moved along the line of her neck – up to the hollow behind her ear – pressing soft, nibbling kisses in time with the pulsing beat of the music. Her heart hammered a rapid tattoo – frantic need pooling between her thighs, hot and slick. The music surrounded them, the heavy throbbing beat blending with the heady mix of alcohol and weed coursing through her system, leaving her feeling boneless and buzzing with want.

Warm breath skated across the shell of her ear when his teeth closed lightly on her earlobe. Shivers danced down her spine, body pulsing with liquid heat. Her head tipped back, resting on his chest, the music swirling around them. The world shrunk down to the feel of his hands on her, the hard ridge of his cock against her ass. Her eyes closed and the world spun.

One song bled into the next and the next, the words a blur. Her hips moved in time with the beat against his, pushing back with every thrust forward he made. His hand splayed against her stomach, long fingers brushing the underside of her breast. Her nipples were tight little points that pushed up against the lace of her bra, the friction making her thighs clench. She wanted – desperately so and when the music slowed, she spun lazily, lifting her arms and winding them around his neck, fingers tangling in the dense curls at his nape, tugging his face down to hers.

Their lips met in a deep, wet kiss that had her moaning, legs widening to press her core against the hard bulge between his thighs. His hands found her ass, pulling her even more tightly against him. He rocked them slowly to the beat of the music, their lips moving in a heated dance.

"Hey!"

So lost in each other, neither of them acknowledged the short brunette shouting at them until she forcefully dragged them apart, grabbing Katniss' shoulders and pulling her backwards, away from Peeta's drugging lips. Blinking dazedly, Katniss stared at her blearily, her brow knitting when Jo shoved a strip of condoms in her face. "Go back to the room, you're making a scene," Jo said, laughing.

Katniss's fingers closed around the condoms, her brain slowly comprehending what her friend was saying. Her gaze darted back to Peeta's, her cheeks flushing a fiery red.

"Don't let her get into her head," Jo said, pushing on his arm to make him move. "Just get out of here, go back to the hotel."

Peeta stumbled, glaring at her. "I've got it," he said irritably. Turning back to Katniss, he smiled. "Wanna get out of here?"

She nodded mutely, darting a glance at Jo, who smirked back at her. Katniss glared and stuffed the condoms she was holding into her pocket. Peeta's fingers trailing along her arm pulled her attention away from her friend and she looked back up, getting lost in the heat of his gaze. The music started up once more and he leaned closer, lips brushing her ear. "Ignore her, she only does it to rile you up," he said softly.

Katniss chuckled darkly, linking her middle finger with his. "Figured her out, have you?"

"Wasn't hard, I've been watching her do it for nearly a year now," he said as he pulled back, grinning at her. "C'mon, we can walk back, it's not that far."

The night air was cool after the heat of the bar. Katniss and Peeta walked slowly down the street, the silence between them comfortable as they ambled along, middle fingers linked. The desire she'd felt in the bar was pulsing steadily along her veins, making her hyper aware of him next to her. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, her stomach clenching at the sight of his strong jaw. It was so tempting just to push him up against one of the light poles and nibble along the length of it. Her cheeks heated as she thought about it, biting on her lip as giggles bubbled in her chest.

"What's funny?"

She darted a look at him and found him staring at her, that tilted grin that she found so damn hard to resist on his lips. "Oh, um… why'd it take you so long…uh, you know…"

Peeta chuckled, bumping his shoulder with hers. "Why'd it take you so long to notice I wanted to?"

The buzz from earlier was winding down, leaving her feeling pleasantly numb, but not so wasted she couldn't think. The only thing really gone was her inhibitions and she bumped his shoulder back, grinning up at him. "What makes you think it did?"

"Then why did it take till tonight for you to do anything about it?"

Katniss shrugged, pulling on his finger to draw him into the park they were passing. "I'm shy?"

His bark of laughter was loud in the quiet night air and it made her laugh. She spun around, walking backwards so she could see his face. "You don't think so?"

Peeta shook his head, tugging on her finger, his other hand sliding around her hip, drawing her closer. "You've had me wrapped around your finger since September."

A wicked grin curved her lips. "Liar."

He stared down at her. "Serious. I haven't thought about another girl since you walked into the graphics classroom that first meeting. You totally blew me away."

Katniss stopped walking, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. "Why didn't you…"

"Cowardice," he said instantly.

She could see the light hint of red staining his cheeks and it was so endearing that she closed the distance between them, leaning up on her toes and pressing her lips to his.

He groaned, fingers tightening on her hip as he opened his mouth, instantly deepening the kiss. Their fingers tangled together and she ran her other hand up his arm, curling around his shoulder as she leaned into him, their mouths mating heatedly. He backed her up slowly, lips never leaving hers. Her nails dug lightly into the dense muscles of his shoulder when his fingers dipped into her waistband, stroking lightly over the bare skin, toying with the strap of her panties on her hip. The desperate, pulse pounding need was back, centering hotly between her thighs and arcing out like a live wire. Her nipples ruched into tight little buds, pressing against the lace of her bra and every step brought them into contact with his hard chest, zinging darts of need straight to her pussy.

He broke away from her lips, trailing kisses along her jaw and back up behind her ear. "Table," he whispered, warm breath skating across her ear. Goosebumps erupted along her arms and she fought to focus against the drugging ecstasy flooding her body from his touch.

Katniss bumped into the table with her ass and she grabbed onto his shoulders to steady herself. She scooted backwards, wincing when her bare legs met the hard wood. Her momentary discomfort was quickly forgotten as Peeta's lips found hers once more, his tongue slipping into her mouth to tease against hers. He kissed her slowly, tongue darting and retreating, tempting her to follow. When she did, his hands cupped her hips, pulling her closer as he shifted to move between her thighs, bringing their bodies into contact.

Katniss moaned as he circled his hips, rubbing the hard ridge of his cock against her center. Heat flared between her thighs, spreading out to coil in her lower stomach.

Peeta pulled his lips from hers, licking and kissing a trail down her neck, lingering on the pounding pulse at the base of her neck. His teeth grazed lightly over the sensitive skin and her hips bucked hard up against him, her breath coming in sharp, short pants. Fuck she wanted him – had never wanted anything more in her life than to feel him filling her. Her clit throbbed and pulsed as his fingers plucked at one turgid nipple, rolling it between his thumb and index finger. Her hands were busy, one sliding up under his shirt to skim over the hair covered skin of his chest and the other working frantically at the belt that held his shorts up. It finally loosened enough for her to slip her hand inside, fingers curling around the thick length.

His soft moan made her toes curl and she stroked slowly, learning the feel of him as he thrust into her hand. Warm lips teased at her nipple and she was swamped with need, her body arching into the dense heat of his mouth.

"Hey!" Katniss blinked as a bright light hit her directly in the face. "You kids, stop!" "Fuck!" Peeta grabbed her hand and pulled her off the table, lacing their fingers together as he stumbled backwards, away from the light that was getting brighter and bigger with every second. "Katniss, come on!"

She lurched after him, nearly tripping over the railroad tie that bounded the small picnic area. "Shit," she hissed as her toes collided with the hard wood. "Dammit!"

Peeta turned around and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her into his side as they scrambled towards the woods at the back of the small park. Their hotel was right on the other side of them. They half ran, half stumbled through the small copse of trees and into the parking lot of the hotel, running up the steps to the lobby. The doors closed behind them and they looked at each other, nearly collapsing as laughter consumed them. The desk clerk looked at them in confusion, which only had them laughing harder. Peeta pointed at the elevator and Katniss nodded, holding her sides as giggles bubbled out of her throat. The doors opened and they stepped inside, the wide eyed clerk staring at them from across the lobby. Katniss slid to the floor as the doors slid shut, Peeta slumping down beside her, consumed with laughter.


End file.
